Mary Tyler Moore’s TV Legacy Includes Normalizing Women Having a Career, Wearing Pants, and Birth Control
Mary Tyler Moore is one of the all-time great icons of television, an actor who forged new paths for women in the entertainment industry. While many pop culture fans might recognize her name, it is likely that few people realize the extent of what she did for female representation in television. In Moore’s hit ’70s show The Mary Tyler Moore Show, the performer not only changed the way that people looked at women on TV but created a character that echoed what many women were experiencing around the world.
How did Mary Tyler Moore get into acting?
Moore was born in New York City in 1936. As a teenager, Moore started modeling, appearing in dozens of Hotpoint Appliances TV commercials, according to IMDb.
In the ’50s, Moore became a fairly regular presence on television, acting in shows such as Richard Diamond, Private Detective, The Tab Hunter Show, and Johnny Staccato. Moore got her big break in 1961 when she was cast as Laura Petrie in The Dick Van Dyke Show.
Moore became an immediate fan favorite, and her comedic performances on the show made her a perfect foil to Van Dyke’s character. Not only did Moore’s sharp, snappy portrayal of Laura change the way that many viewers looked at sitcom housewives, but she changed up the fashion options for women in television as well.
According to CNN, Moore insisted that Laura wear pants, rather than the full skirts that were the standard at the time. In this way, Moore became a trailblazer in women’s fashion. But it wasn’t until her later work in The Mary Tyler Moore Show that her influence really blossomed.
Mary Tyler Moore broke barriers on ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show’
In 1970, Moore was one of the biggest stars on television—and that year, her very own sitcom debuted on TV, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Featuring Moore as Mary Richards, an independent single woman focused on building a career in the television news industry, the show became a huge hit with critics and audiences. The show is notable for the way it highlights a strong single woman as the central character, ushering in a growing wave of feminism in the United States.
According to Insider, Moore’s character on The Mary Tyler Moore Show became a role model for women of all ages who were entering the workforce in the ’70s. CNN reports that Mary Richards was also portrayed as being sex-positive- a rarity for any television show at the time. In one notable episode, Mary’s mother actually tells her “don’t forget to take your pill,” which is likely the very first time that birth control was ever mentioned on TV.
When did Mary Tyler Moore die?
The Mary Tyler Moore Show ran on television until 1977. Throughout the run of her historic series, Moore continued working on other projects, including guest-hosting variety specials.
After The Mary Tyler Moore Show ended, Moore went on to star in several other sitcoms, including Mary and The Mary Tyler Moore Hour. She also appeared in several Broadway productions, proving her versatility and willingness to try new things. Moore also worked tirelessly on behalf of causes that she believed in, including animal rights and vegetarianism.
In January 2017, Moore died at the age of 80 due to pneumonia complications. To this day, Moore is remembered fondly by fans of all ages for her work in television, breaking barriers and establishing new precedents for women on television and in the workplace.
